Vegetable cutting machines are used in large kitchens and restaurants to disintegrate green vegetables and root vegetables, hereinafter referred to collectively as vegetables.
One such machine is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,355 to E.O.S. Hall, entitled DEVICE IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING FOODSTUFF. This known machine comprises a cylindrical feeding unit which includes a vertically upright cylindrical tube and a vegetable press-feed device in the form of a plate which extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube. The plate can be moved linearly in the tube, either manually or mechanically with the aid of drive means. The plate can be swung away from the top orifice of the tube, so as to enable vegetables or vegetables to be inserted into the tube for disintegration in the machine. A cutting tool including a rotatable cutting disc with one or more knives is mounted adjacent the bottom orifice of the tube. When the disc rotates and a vegetable in the vegetable feeding unit is pressed down against the cutting tool by means of said press-feed device, the vegetable is disintegrated and the vegetable cuttings exit from the machine through apertures provided in the cutting tool, in the vicinity of the knives.
It is necessary to remove the cylindrical feeding unit in order to clean the knife-housing of the machine. Such cylindrical feeders, however, are relatively large and therewith relatively heavy. Because of its size and shape, the cylindrical feeder is also cumbersome to handle. It is also necessary to clean the feeder regularly, which is a troublesome task, due to the configuration of the feeder.
In the case of one known machine, the cylindrical tube and the vegetable press-feed device are fitted together so as always to form a unit. This cylindrical feeder, however, is heavy and awkward to handle and to clean, as before mentioned. In the case of another known machine, the vegetable press-feed device can be lifted easily from the cylindrical tube. This design, however, is very liable to result in accidents, since the personnel concerned often lift-out the entire cylindrical feeder unit and then separate the unit into two parts, namely the tube and the vegetable press-feed device, the danger here being that the tube will fall onto the feet of the person concerned. Since the tube is relatively heavy, this can result in serious injury. Consequently, it is necessary to be able to handle the cylindrical feeder as an integral unit which cannot be separated into its component parts unintentionally when removing the feeder temporarily and when carrying the feeder from one place to another.